AB0684 Fatigue Assessment in Systemic Sclerosis, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Authors: J. Santana Peralta, A. Cornelio, D. Garcia, R. A. Alvarez Santana, T. Polanco Mora, L. Concepción Sanchez, I. Paulino, I. Mercedes, E. Rodriguez Bautista, T. Valdez Lorie, A. Feriz, R. Muñoz Louis
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2022)

Background Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic autoimmune disease. 1 Fatigue has been reported in 75% of SSc patients, and is the most problematic symptom due to impact on quality of life. Despite its high prevalence, origin is unknown. 2 Some studies associate it with the degree of disease activity and decreased quality of life. Fatigue is defined as a feeling of exhaustion, also as a reduction in physical and mental capacity, 3 scales such as FACIT-F (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue) are used, which evaluates the last 7 days, with a score of 0-52. For the severity analysis, 4 grades are used: no or mild fatigue (40-52), moderate (27-39), severe (14-26) and extreme (0-13). 4,5 Objectives To evaluate the frequency and degree of fatigue in systemic sclerosis. Methods Prospective, longitudinal, observational study of the cohort of patients of the Rheumatology service of the Hospital Docente Padre Billini. Patients were interviewed in November 2021. Inclusion criteria: ≥18 years, diagnosis of SSc according ACR/EULAR 2013 classification criteria. Exclusion criteria: previous diagnosis of fibromyalgia, depression or anxiety, treatment with antidepressants, antihistamines, beta-blockers. Measurement of FACIT-F, HAQ-DI, mRSS scales. Statistical analysis was performed with the Pearson correlation (r p ) with p=&gt;0.05. The data was analyzed by SPSS V23. Results 54 met inclusion criteria. 100% female, mean age 53.3±15.1 years, mean disease duration 11.3 years, SScd 75.9% (41), SScl 24.1% (13), interstitial pneumonia 33.3% (18), gastrointestinal reflux disease 27.8% (15), HAP 20.37% (11). Frequency of fatigue 100% (54): moderate FACIT-F: 29.6% (16), severe FACIT-F 38.8% (21), extreme 31.5% (17). Correlation FACIT-F with mRSS and HAQ-DI: Moderate FACIT-F: mRSS mild 43.8% (7), moderate 12.5% (2), severe 18.8% (3), terminal 25% (4), HAQ-DI mild 25% (4), moderate 37.5% (6), severe 18.8% (3). Severe FACIT-F: mRSS normal 4.8% (1), mild 19% (4), moderate 91% (4), severe 33.3 % (7), terminal 23.8% (5), HAQ-DI mild 4.8% (1), moderate 19% (4), severe 47.6% (10). FACIT-F extreme: mRSS mild 7.61% (3), moderate 29.4% (5), severe 35.3% (6), terminal 17.6% (3), HAQ-DI moderate 11.8% (2), severe 52.9% (9). r p =. 246 p&gt;0.05 Conclusion The study demonstrated a high frequency of fatigue. The most frequent degree was severe. A statistically significant linear association was observed between skin involvement and the degree of functional limitation. References [1]Basta F, Afeltra A, Margiotta DPE. Fatigue in systemic sclerosis: a systematic review. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2018. [2]Chernis, J., Buni, M., Kazzaz, S., Ying, J., Lyons, M., Assassi, S. and Mayes, M., 2021. Predictors of Perceived Functional Status in Early Systemic Sclerosis: A Prospective Longitudinal Study of the GENISOS Cohort. Arthritis Care &amp; Research. [3]Stamm, T., Mosor, E., Omara, M., Ritschl, V., &amp; Murphy, S. L. (2020). How can fatigue be addressed in individuals with systemic sclerosis? The Lancet Rheumatology, 2(3), e128-e129. [4]Nakayama, A., Tunnicliffe, D., Thakkar, V., Singh-Grewal, D., O’Neill, S., Craig, J. and Tong, A., 2016. Patients’ Perspectives and Experiences Living with Systemic Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Studies. The Journal of Rheumatology, 43(7), pp.1363-1375. [5]Acaster, S., Dickerhoof, R., DeBusk, K., Bernard, K., Strauss, W. and Allen, L., 2015. Qualitative and quantitative validation of the FACIT-fatigue scale in iron deficiency anemia. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 13(1). Disclosure of Interests None declared